In conventional practice, there are known packaging apparatuses which form bags from belt-shaped films and package articles in the bags. Such a packaging apparatus forms a belt-shaped film into a cylinder while conveying the film downward, and seals the bottom end of the cylindrical film. The packaging apparatus then drops articles into the cylindrical film that is sealed at the bottom end, and seals the top end of the cylindrical film to form a bag.
However, when articles are dropped through a chute into a cylindrical film sealed at the bottom end, the articles sometimes get clogged in the chute. In view of this, a packaging apparatus comprising a pushing member is proposed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 11-49104, for example. The pushing member protrudes into the chute through the top of the chute by swinging, and forces the articles clogged in the chute to fall into the cylindrical film.